Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
The invention is applicable to a device for use in disengaging snagged lines and specifically relates to a portable, hand held device which is adapted to engage a snagged fishing line to enable the one fishing to pull on the line without exerting undue force on the rod or the hands of the user.
There are many devices designed to disengage snagged lures.
Most of these devices are fed down an auxiliary line to engage the snagged lure at the point of its snagging. For example, see Ellison U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,537, Padgett U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,324, Karpes U.S. Pat. No. 2,950,558, Burden U.S. Pat. No. 2,895,250 and Bradbury U.S. Pat. No. 2,828,570. Childress U.S. Pat. No. 2,861,377 uses a bracket attached to the end of an oar to change the direction of pull on the line in an effort to disengage the snagged lure.
There also are devices designed to prevent cutting the hand of the user when the user is fishing with a hand line. Bress U.S. Pat. No. 2,627,691 shows a device which fits over the line and slides down the line and has a ball which will lock the line against the inside of the retriever to allow the line to be moved at a different angle without stress on the rod in an effort to free the snagged lure.
Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 2,556,189 shows a D-ring having a groove over which the line fits so that it acts as a hand guard to prevent the line from cutting the hand of the person fishing. This is designed to be used with hand held deep sea fishing lines. A 1868 patent to Stacy No. 78,546 also is designed to be used for hand fishing and shows a circular wheel with a groove in the center, but the wheel is made of flexible material so that when the two sides of the wheel rim are gripped, they move toward each other to engage the line.
The present invention is directed to a different problem in disengaging snagged lures than the aforesaid prior art patents address, because of advanced technology in fishing line construction.
The latest fishing lines have exceptional strength and elasticity and when a line is snagged, the one fishing has a difficult problem in exerting enough force by pulling on the line to either dislodge the line or break the line. Since fishing line primarily is a thin polymeric material, the line can cut the hands of the user if pulled with sufficient force. On the other hand if the rod is used to try to free or break the line, the line has sufficient strength to break the rod, usually near the butt end.
Another problem in mechanically gripping fishing line is that the lines of different strengths have different diameters.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a hand pull for engaging snagged fishing line which will give the user sufficient leverage to free or break the line without subjecting the rod to excess force and without danger of the line cutting the hands of the user.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a universal hand pull for engaging snagged fishing lines of varying diameters.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a hand pull for engaging snagged fishing lures which will float if it is accidentally dropped into the body of water in which the lure is snagged.
These and other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.
The invention comprises a floating universal hand hold for engaging snagged fishing of different diameters so that the line can be pulled and force exerted on the lure and the line without danger to the rod or the hands of the user.